Roof repair materials that look similar at first may perform in vastly different ways in the long-term. The use of high-quality materials that are expertly installed is always advised. To execute a residential roof repair in Passaic County, New Jersey, talk to a roofing professional who can recommend the best materials for your home.
Quality Roofing Materials
The best materials for a residential roof repair in Passaic County have specific qualities and capabilities. Some of these qualities and capabilities include the following.
- Backed up by a reputable local roofer
- Match the look of the existing roof
- Address the entire problem
- Stand the test of time
- Are installed under the guidance of a factory-certified contractor
To most homeowners, shingles are shingles until they are not matched well during a repair. Today there are more colors, textures and styles of shingles than ever before. An experienced roofer makes the effort to approximate the color and style of older shingles that may no longer be manufactured.
Shingle matching must also account for any fading of the color of the original shingles. One way to deal with this issue is to replace all the shingles along a given slope. If you put your home on the market at some point, you don’t want to have prospective buyers distracted by a repair that draws attention to itself.
Important Roofing Products
A variety of roofing products are used to complete residential roof repairs in Passaic County. Quality products and professional installation are key to repairs that stand the test of time.
Asphalt shingles
Your shingle roof is covered with either traditional three-tab or architectural shingles. Since architectural shingles are considerably thicker, it is usually best to complete a roof repair with the same basic type of shingle.
Higher quality three-tab shingles and architectural shingles typically feature strong adhesives that keep them in place in high winds. They are also covered with well-anchored granules that tend to stay in place as time goes on.
The top-selling architectural shingle on the market is GAF’s Timberline Series. They come in a wide range of colors and designs, including highly dimensional shingles capable of casting significant shadows in the sunlight. The Designer Series is ahigh-quality line of shingles with dramatic cuts and/or bevels that mimic the look of thicker roofing materials such as cedar shakes and natural slate.
Finally, if your roof is covered with older organic shingles, matching them might be difficult because manufacturers may have ceased production. Organic shingles used a cellulose mat embedded in asphalt, rather than the fiberglass mat used in modern shingles. Over time, the cellulose may eventually absorb excess moisture, causing distortion and other issues. If you have an organic shingle roof that is still in good shape overall, it is often best to complete a repair with modern fiberglass shingles.
Underlayment
Today’s roofing manufacturers offer a variety of roll products that are installed on the roof deck before the shingles are applied. Asphalt felt is traditional, time-tested, fire-rated underlayment, while modern synthetic underlayments are a modern alternative. The makeup of your current roof system and the pitch of your roof may determine whether felt or synthetic underlayment is best for your residential roof repair in Passaic County, NJ.
Although synthetic underlayment typically costs more thanregular felt, it does offers some useful advantages, including longevity. Unlike felt, there is no asphalt that can dry out and get brittle. Although synthetic underlayment is very lightweight, it is still highly wind-resistant if shingles are ever blown off. Synthetic underlayments are also very water-resistant, and they help keep resins from the sheathing away from the shingles.
Sheathing
Underlayment is applied over the roof deck. The deck usually consists of either exterior-rated plywood sheathing or oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing. Roof leaks can cause sheathing to soften or even rot over time. If an area of the roof deck is compromised in any way, the sheathing must be replaced before a residential roof repair in Passaic County can proceed.
Flashing
Roof flashing is often an underappreciated part of a roof system. However, high-quality, properly installed flashing is vital to long-term performance. Flashing must be both flexible and durable. Although roof flashing is fabricated from various materials, metal is most common.
Flashing around roof penetrations, in valleys, and at terminations and joints must endure the onslaught of the seasons, year after year. It must remain flexible through all temperature extremes, from blazing hot to bitter cold. It must also hold up when ice and snow accumulate on it, sometimes for weeks at a time. The corrosive nature of acid rain and salt air can also damage flashing over time.
Leak barriers
An ice and water barrier creates a seal that protects the most vulnerable places on your roof from water infiltration. It is effective in protecting against wind-driven rain and ice dams when used for repairs in valleys, at the eaves and around chimneys.
Contact CRS Today
Look to CRS when you need residential roof repair in Passaic County. Since 1977, we have addressed the diverse roofing needs of NJ homeowners. We are a complete roofing contractor capable of providing periodic roof inspections, routine maintenance, emergency repairs and complete roof replacements. Please reach out to us for expert assistance with your roofing needs.
